22/07: The House That Jack Built
I am so excited to launch the addition of The House That Jack Built dollhouses to our existing lines! We are waiting for our first shipment that should be here any day now, and we already have orders to send out as soon as that happens. Thank you Melissa & Doug for expanding our list of available houses.
There is really no difference in choosing how to finish the inside walls of your doll house, to choosing how you would finish the inside walls of your own home!
The challenge comes in finding wallpaper and flooring that is the right scale for your doll house.
I have seen so many doll houses, where the owner used scraps of flooring from their home, either carpet or tile, to do the floors in their doll house and the results were terrible! Full scale carpeting when used in a doll house, looks like knee high grass, and any texture on tile, looks like giant potholes.
The same goes for choosing wallpaper. Do not use a wallpaper that you would use on the walls of your house, in your doll house! You will end up with the scale of your room looking totally wrong.
If you want to wallpaper your doll house, be sure to choose the scale carefully. There are many doll house wallpapers designed just for doll houses and it is usually a good idea to choose one of these. Many are not pre-glued so you will also have to purchase a spray adhesive to apply.
Painting is a much easier choice, scale does not matter, you simply choose the color scheme that you want and purchase either acrylic craft paint, or you can use left over acrylic base paint from another project. Adding moldings and trim work can create a lovely effect when using paint on the walls of your dollhouse.
There is also a large assortment of choices when finishing the floors in your doll house. If the floor is cabinet grade plywood to begin with, you may simply stain and finish the flooring like you would any natural wood. You can also purchase wooden flooring designed for doll houses, that is perfectly scaled and ready to lay down. Wall to wall carpeting is another nice choice with many colors available. Carpeting of the proper scale looks more like laying thin velvet or felt! Again it can be laid using spray adhesive.
Before applying any finishes in your doll house, floors or walls, be sure to seal the natural wood with a wood sealer of your choice. Sanding Sealer available at hobby shops, when sanded with a very fine sandpaper, makes a beautiful smooth finish for painting.
The challenge comes in finding wallpaper and flooring that is the right scale for your doll house.
I have seen so many doll houses, where the owner used scraps of flooring from their home, either carpet or tile, to do the floors in their doll house and the results were terrible! Full scale carpeting when used in a doll house, looks like knee high grass, and any texture on tile, looks like giant potholes.
The same goes for choosing wallpaper. Do not use a wallpaper that you would use on the walls of your house, in your doll house! You will end up with the scale of your room looking totally wrong.
If you want to wallpaper your doll house, be sure to choose the scale carefully. There are many doll house wallpapers designed just for doll houses and it is usually a good idea to choose one of these. Many are not pre-glued so you will also have to purchase a spray adhesive to apply.
Painting is a much easier choice, scale does not matter, you simply choose the color scheme that you want and purchase either acrylic craft paint, or you can use left over acrylic base paint from another project. Adding moldings and trim work can create a lovely effect when using paint on the walls of your dollhouse.
There is also a large assortment of choices when finishing the floors in your doll house. If the floor is cabinet grade plywood to begin with, you may simply stain and finish the flooring like you would any natural wood. You can also purchase wooden flooring designed for doll houses, that is perfectly scaled and ready to lay down. Wall to wall carpeting is another nice choice with many colors available. Carpeting of the proper scale looks more like laying thin velvet or felt! Again it can be laid using spray adhesive.
Before applying any finishes in your doll house, floors or walls, be sure to seal the natural wood with a wood sealer of your choice. Sanding Sealer available at hobby shops, when sanded with a very fine sandpaper, makes a beautiful smooth finish for painting.
Over the years I have had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know many miniature enthusiasts. What fascinates them about seeing familiar objects in a tiny, realistic form?
Much more than a child's plaything, building doll houses, and ultimately decorating and furnishing them in a theme of your choice, has become an adult hobby. The only way to improve on that, is to have a daughter or grand-daughter who can share that interest and passion with you.
Personally, my miniature interest lies in antique miniatures and dolls, more so than in modern works. The strange thing about that is the fact that antique pieces were seldom created with a true eye to scale, and scale is of utmost importance to me when viewing modern miniatures.
The craftsmanship involved in creating tiny little porcelain dolls, with jointed limbs, often hand blown inset glass eyes, real mohair wigs is amazing.
Add to that the primitive conditions within the factories that many of these dolls were created in, adds to my amazement. Many of these tiny dolls have lasted in excess of 100 years , they have been handled, and played with, loved and often abandoned, only to turn up years later in an attic somewhere. The furnishings of this same era were often handmade, often primitive, and much did not stand the test of time as well as the little dolls did. To find, own and enjoy these pieces today is a delight.
Manufactured doll house furnishings of this era, were often made in Germany as were the little dolls. I had a dear friend of German origin bring her childhood collection over to me to help her sell. She is in excess of 90 years old, a delightful lady who still teaches piano, runs her own household, and dresses her dolls. She had a story to tell about every piece of furniture, and remembers hours spent with her sister in creating the tiny little bed linens, doll clothes and lampshades. I like to think there are similar stories about every antique piece that comes my way.
Also of importance to me is for miniatures to be made of the material they are in real life.
If a bed is representing one made of wood, I cannot tolerate it in plastic. (sorry Chrysenbon) If bathroom fixtures are representing porcelain pieces, then do not make them in wood! Realism is very important in my own collections.
Some enthusiasts enjoy making all of their own furnishings and accessories, even their own dolls. This exacting craft can only be admired by those of us less talented, but certainly makes their fascination obvious. Some crafters make such exquisite pieces that the prices can command as much as their full size counterparts. There are miniature artists, who paint on tiny canvases each work of art is a one of a kind painting. Other artists paint on tiny plates, even buttons as canvases.
There are miniature artists who do miniature needlepoint, knitting, rug making and pottery as well as wood workers.
One thing I have found is once someone embraces this hobby, it is usually a life long obsession.
Much more than a child's plaything, building doll houses, and ultimately decorating and furnishing them in a theme of your choice, has become an adult hobby. The only way to improve on that, is to have a daughter or grand-daughter who can share that interest and passion with you.
Personally, my miniature interest lies in antique miniatures and dolls, more so than in modern works. The strange thing about that is the fact that antique pieces were seldom created with a true eye to scale, and scale is of utmost importance to me when viewing modern miniatures.
The craftsmanship involved in creating tiny little porcelain dolls, with jointed limbs, often hand blown inset glass eyes, real mohair wigs is amazing.
Add to that the primitive conditions within the factories that many of these dolls were created in, adds to my amazement. Many of these tiny dolls have lasted in excess of 100 years , they have been handled, and played with, loved and often abandoned, only to turn up years later in an attic somewhere. The furnishings of this same era were often handmade, often primitive, and much did not stand the test of time as well as the little dolls did. To find, own and enjoy these pieces today is a delight.
Manufactured doll house furnishings of this era, were often made in Germany as were the little dolls. I had a dear friend of German origin bring her childhood collection over to me to help her sell. She is in excess of 90 years old, a delightful lady who still teaches piano, runs her own household, and dresses her dolls. She had a story to tell about every piece of furniture, and remembers hours spent with her sister in creating the tiny little bed linens, doll clothes and lampshades. I like to think there are similar stories about every antique piece that comes my way.
Also of importance to me is for miniatures to be made of the material they are in real life.
If a bed is representing one made of wood, I cannot tolerate it in plastic. (sorry Chrysenbon) If bathroom fixtures are representing porcelain pieces, then do not make them in wood! Realism is very important in my own collections.
Some enthusiasts enjoy making all of their own furnishings and accessories, even their own dolls. This exacting craft can only be admired by those of us less talented, but certainly makes their fascination obvious. Some crafters make such exquisite pieces that the prices can command as much as their full size counterparts. There are miniature artists, who paint on tiny canvases each work of art is a one of a kind painting. Other artists paint on tiny plates, even buttons as canvases.
There are miniature artists who do miniature needlepoint, knitting, rug making and pottery as well as wood workers.
One thing I have found is once someone embraces this hobby, it is usually a life long obsession.
With many different dollhouse companies offering beautiful dollhouse designs, it is easy to let a visual interpretation of a dollhouse kit make your mind up for you. There are a couple of things however that you should be aware of when choosing a dollhouse kit.
There are basically two types of wooden kits on the market today.
Die Cut Doll house kits - For those of you who are not familiar with this term, I will try to explain how it works. You start with a large sheet of thin plywood, usually approximately 1/8-1/4" thick. The plywood has to be thin enough to enable a large "Die" to be pressed down into the plywood, effectively scoring the wood into intricate shapes that when fitted together, form your dollhouse. Die Cut houses traditionally offer more elaborate design options and intricate trims. These houses are best suited to collectors as the plywood is not thick enough to stand up to heavy play. Collectors love the design elements and are well prepared to spend the extra time needed in sanding, filling and finishing the tab and slot designs. These kits need only glue to hold them together. The most popular die cut Dollhouse Company in North America today is Greenleaf and Corona Concepts doll houses. Please note that Greenleaf has recently added a new line of Lazer cut dollhouse kits. these are more exact, with less sanding needed.
Cabinet Grade Plywood Doll house Kits - 3/8" plywood is usually used in these kits. Assembly includes small nails as well as glue. These houses are much sturdier for play use, and usually simpler in their design than the die cut houses. Some of the higher end houses are stunning with working components, turned porch spindles and many elements that replicate their larger counterpart perfectly. The smooth plywood exterior finish on these kits can be painted, stucco can be added, or you can add real wooden siding for a very realistic look. Real Good Toys in Vermont is the largest and most respected doll house maker of plywood houses in North America today.
Milled MDF - Similar to solid plywood houses milled MDF (medium density fibreboard) an engineered wood product formed by breaking down softwood into wood fibres, combining with wax and resin, and formed into panels by applying temperature and pressure. It is much denser than normal particle board. These MDF sheets are cut similar to plywood, however they offer a unique difference. The "siding" of a dollhouse can be milled directly onto the outside walls of MDF kits, creating a realistic exterior finish when painted. MDF is heavy, will withstand a reasonable amount of play and also will take nails for assembly. Dura-Craft controlled the MDF doll house market for many years, and their demise has left a hole in the dollhouse market. Real Good Toys is now offering many of their dollhouse kits with a choice of smooth plywood finish or MDF, depending on the choice of the consumer.
Plastics continue to be available as a dollhouse alternative for very young children.
Consider all of this information when choosing a type of dollhouse kit to purchase and avoid disappointment in your finished product.
There are basically two types of wooden kits on the market today.
Die Cut Doll house kits - For those of you who are not familiar with this term, I will try to explain how it works. You start with a large sheet of thin plywood, usually approximately 1/8-1/4" thick. The plywood has to be thin enough to enable a large "Die" to be pressed down into the plywood, effectively scoring the wood into intricate shapes that when fitted together, form your dollhouse. Die Cut houses traditionally offer more elaborate design options and intricate trims. These houses are best suited to collectors as the plywood is not thick enough to stand up to heavy play. Collectors love the design elements and are well prepared to spend the extra time needed in sanding, filling and finishing the tab and slot designs. These kits need only glue to hold them together. The most popular die cut Dollhouse Company in North America today is Greenleaf and Corona Concepts doll houses. Please note that Greenleaf has recently added a new line of Lazer cut dollhouse kits. these are more exact, with less sanding needed.
Cabinet Grade Plywood Doll house Kits - 3/8" plywood is usually used in these kits. Assembly includes small nails as well as glue. These houses are much sturdier for play use, and usually simpler in their design than the die cut houses. Some of the higher end houses are stunning with working components, turned porch spindles and many elements that replicate their larger counterpart perfectly. The smooth plywood exterior finish on these kits can be painted, stucco can be added, or you can add real wooden siding for a very realistic look. Real Good Toys in Vermont is the largest and most respected doll house maker of plywood houses in North America today.
Milled MDF - Similar to solid plywood houses milled MDF (medium density fibreboard) an engineered wood product formed by breaking down softwood into wood fibres, combining with wax and resin, and formed into panels by applying temperature and pressure. It is much denser than normal particle board. These MDF sheets are cut similar to plywood, however they offer a unique difference. The "siding" of a dollhouse can be milled directly onto the outside walls of MDF kits, creating a realistic exterior finish when painted. MDF is heavy, will withstand a reasonable amount of play and also will take nails for assembly. Dura-Craft controlled the MDF doll house market for many years, and their demise has left a hole in the dollhouse market. Real Good Toys is now offering many of their dollhouse kits with a choice of smooth plywood finish or MDF, depending on the choice of the consumer.
Plastics continue to be available as a dollhouse alternative for very young children.
Consider all of this information when choosing a type of dollhouse kit to purchase and avoid disappointment in your finished product.
29 years ago, my shop was one of the first shops to get onboard when the Bradford Exchange decided to open a "Dealer Division" in Canada. I am sure there was no one who had looked in a magazine in 1980, and not seen "Matthew". People who had never owned a doll, or even considered owning a doll, were falling in love with the idea of doll collecting as well as falling in love with Matthew. Yes there were dolls before Matthew, but in my mind, he was the one that really blew the doll market wide open.
These new collectors, then wanted to complete the earlier dolls in the set, and prices on the premier issue "Jason" went crazy. I remember people paying up to $2500. to have the first issue in the Picture Perfect Babies Collection, Jason, and hundreds to obtain Heather and Jennifer as well.
So where did it all go wrong? Today's market on these and other older Ashton Drake Dolls, is so soft I would not dream of selling.
It is my opinion that Ashton Drake Galleries simply made too many dolls. From their original 2-3 different series back in the early days, to having so many different sets of dolls it was nearly impossible for collectors to know what doll belonged in what series.
I heard over and over as sales dwindled that there is "only so much room in my house for dolls".
Many other collectors had entered the marketplace to simply purchase dolls as an investment, and as the market continued to be flooded with new dolls and new series of dolls, these collectors changed their buying habits. These dolls have never been displayed, and have been carefully stored for the past 20 years. Add their numbers to those sold to private collectors and you will begin to see the larger picture.
For myself as a dealer, the final blow came when I received an informal letter in the mail, saying my sales were no longer high enough to qualify for dealer status, and I would not be able to purchase dolls for resale in the future. This was the quality of customer service given to a retailer of their product for over 20 years and having sold hundreds of their dolls over the years and generating thousands of dollars in revenue for them. For a company struggling to maintain a collector base, this business decision by the Dealer Division alienated a large portion of their small retailer foundation.
Now you have collectors tiring of the product and upset because their "investment" did not work out, and you also have your retailers upset over being treated so poorly.
I have many lovely Ashton Drake dolls in my own collection. I am a Diana Effner fan, but have others as well. I am not planning to sell, so their retail value is of little importance to me, but I certainly would call this the end of an era for a once flourishing company.
I hope that in the future these dolls will once again be recognized as the quality collectible that they are, and once again be sought after and treasured.
These new collectors, then wanted to complete the earlier dolls in the set, and prices on the premier issue "Jason" went crazy. I remember people paying up to $2500. to have the first issue in the Picture Perfect Babies Collection, Jason, and hundreds to obtain Heather and Jennifer as well.
So where did it all go wrong? Today's market on these and other older Ashton Drake Dolls, is so soft I would not dream of selling.
It is my opinion that Ashton Drake Galleries simply made too many dolls. From their original 2-3 different series back in the early days, to having so many different sets of dolls it was nearly impossible for collectors to know what doll belonged in what series.
I heard over and over as sales dwindled that there is "only so much room in my house for dolls".
Many other collectors had entered the marketplace to simply purchase dolls as an investment, and as the market continued to be flooded with new dolls and new series of dolls, these collectors changed their buying habits. These dolls have never been displayed, and have been carefully stored for the past 20 years. Add their numbers to those sold to private collectors and you will begin to see the larger picture.
For myself as a dealer, the final blow came when I received an informal letter in the mail, saying my sales were no longer high enough to qualify for dealer status, and I would not be able to purchase dolls for resale in the future. This was the quality of customer service given to a retailer of their product for over 20 years and having sold hundreds of their dolls over the years and generating thousands of dollars in revenue for them. For a company struggling to maintain a collector base, this business decision by the Dealer Division alienated a large portion of their small retailer foundation.
Now you have collectors tiring of the product and upset because their "investment" did not work out, and you also have your retailers upset over being treated so poorly.
I have many lovely Ashton Drake dolls in my own collection. I am a Diana Effner fan, but have others as well. I am not planning to sell, so their retail value is of little importance to me, but I certainly would call this the end of an era for a once flourishing company.
I hope that in the future these dolls will once again be recognized as the quality collectible that they are, and once again be sought after and treasured.
We are streamlining our inventory and have decided to put our focus more on doll parts and supplies, and to phase out or kids costume categories. Everything remaining is at half price. We are also selling our well established Website/Domain name for the costume business. http://www.kids-creative-costumes.com If interested please contact us at the Doll House Elora for more information. Checkout our half price dress up items here
http://www.kids-creative-costumes.com/
http://www.kids-creative-costumes.com/
01/03: Congratulations to Canada!
Totally unrelated to the doll field, is the pride I feel today to be a Canadian. What a fabulous olympic games we have had! To be the country holding the record for the most gold medals ever received at a winter olympics is a true and mighty honour! Way to go to all of our Canadian Athletes. You have shown incredible strength of character and should be an inspiration to the rest of us for years to come!
07/02: NEW PDF CATALOGUE DOWNLOADS!
As an alternative to expensive printed catalogues, we are now offering FREE pdf catalogue downloads of our products. You can choose from Dollhouses and Accessories, Dollhouse Furniture, Porcelain Dolls, or Kids costumes. You download as a PDF file and print off on your own computer. If you view these pdf's online you will be offered a "details" link that will take you to our website for more information on a particular product. Hope this is helpful :)
25/01: New Porcelain Doll Parts
We have just purchased a large lot of hand poured porcelain doll parts from a gentleman in London England. They will soon be online to purchase, but will all be shipped directly from England at this time. This will not affect the shipping costs but may affect the time frame in receiving the items. Keep watching!
04/01: Shipping Information
When checking out of our shopping cart, you are presented with two shipping options. Standard and Express. The prices are based accordingly. Standard shipping means ground, and is less expensive than express shipping. Many people choose standard shipping, which from Canada to Europe can easily take 4-6 weeks, and then don't understand why there order takes so long. Please read our shipping standards and options! You will also find information there regarding tracking. Standard international shipping under 2 K is sent small packet, and tracking is not available on these deliveries. You have insurance against loss, but to add tracking to your order involves additional charges. We ship only through Canada Post, their shipping standards are our shipping standards. You can visit their site here http://www.canadapost.ca
